CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: Still Chilling.
Soon after breakfast, the bird and mole decided to explore their surroundings.
"Jeez, it's getting even colder," said Kazooie as they got out of the molehill and walked back to the center room. They now noticed the water that was trickling down from Clanker's buckling shell was crystallizing into ice.
"Where are we? Asked Bottles, scratching the back of his neck.
The two dashed toward the front of Clanker, at his large jaws. "Hey, open up," requested the Breegull and the mechanical shark obliged, letting a surprisingly bitter cold wind rush through.
They recognized the area instantly. It was the icy side of Hailfire Peaks.
"It seems colder than usual," commented Bottles.
Clanker must have swum non-stop to get us here by morning," said Kazooie. "Especially without the aid of the Crystal Jiggy."
The mole took in the bird's thoughts. "Especially without my patented move," he added.
Kazooie though for a while, then spoke. "We can't keep the kids and the Mrs. along with us," she said, changing the subject. "We have to leave them at a safe point."
"But this game saves automatically."
"No, I said SAFE point: A place where they could be safe."
"Oh."
"We need a place where Klunty would not harm them. A place that has little or no uses whatsoever, except to bring up some nostalgia. Hmm... Wait a sec! I know a place..."
------
Boggy's igloo was a rare occurrence on the chilly side of Hailfire Peaks, as it was an igloo made not of ice, but of overlain lead and steel. Even more odd, the furnishing inside this mammal-made wonder -- the TV, couch, and shelves -- was made not of stable materials, but of ice. It was quite a physical irony, existing alone as a pure oddity.
Boggy the bear however was hurriedly dressing for an important rendezvous. Quickly donning his scarf, he attempted to swallow his breakfast of bloated salmon in one bite. In doing so, he choked and coughed it back out. The doorbell rang, which shook him greatly.
Walking toward the door, he slipped on the half-chewed fish he had just spat out and fell with a thunderous crash onto the coffee table.
The polar bear kids woke up. Goggy, Moggy, and Soggy had startled awake by the father's fall. They climbed out of their beds, scurrying up the stairs. They stopped at Boggy slumped onto the table, and pulled at his face. "Daddy?" they asked.
Boggy eventually got to his feet, surprised that his children were awake so early on a weekend. Saying very little, he escorted them back to bed, and opened the door that he'd nearly forgotten to answer.
Kazooie and Bottles appeared at the doorway.
This apparently had Boggy frozen in place with shock, a look of terror spreading across his face. As the Breegull reached a wing out to say something, the bear suddenly stumbled backward against the table he had fallen on just moments ago.
"No..." Boggy uttered, "Please, don't hurt me..."
The mole and bird looked to each other in complete bewilderment at the bear's reaction. "What are you saying?" asked Kazooie.
Boggy quickly responded, "No, don't take me to Klunty! I'm sorry I let Banjo take my Jiggies to help defeat her, I really am!"
"What?" said the bird. "We're not taking you to the witch! What is going on with you?"
"Hunh?" said the bear, reaching his paw out slightly. "But... you were both brainwashed by Klunty at the game, weren't you? It said that on the TV yesterday."
"No," said Bottles. "We managed to escape before that. The witch announced it and everything."
"Well, I turned it off right away when I heard about Klunty. I didn't want to scare the kids," Boggy explained.
"You needn't worry about her," said Kazooie. "She's after us, not you. Which brings us to another topic, actually. It involves this mole's furry family."
"Is there any way you could take after my children?" asked Bottles with a slight warmness. "I know you've got a full house here, but the Mrs. will surely keep my boy and girl in order for you. It would really help us out."
Boggy fiddled with his scarf while he decided. "All right," he finally said. "I'll have to talk with my wife though -- she's out and I have to meet her soon. It shouldn't be problem when I explain it to her, so you can leave them here and I'll return later."
"Great," said the bird. She quickly ran back to Clanker to get the others.
"So, where are you headed?" asked Bottles.
"I'm not quite sure. I have to sign some papers -- it has something to do with the passing of the Ice Cubes."
"The Ice Cubes? You mean Mildred and George passed away? Kazooie never told me about that... how strange. How did they die?"
"Well, I don't know. They said they've only recently found their remains. It sounds really horrible. Imagine stumbling upon a pair of eyes..."
Bottles shuddered at the thought.
"So you see," said Boggy, "I really have to get going now. Goodbye." The bear looked back into the igloo, then walked away, leaving it in uncertain hands.
Soon after breakfast, the bird and mole decided to explore their surroundings.
"Jeez, it's getting even colder," said Kazooie as they got out of the molehill and walked back to the center room. They now noticed the water that was trickling down from Clanker's buckling shell was crystallizing into ice.
"Where are we? Asked Bottles, scratching the back of his neck.
The two dashed toward the front of Clanker, at his large jaws. "Hey, open up," requested the Breegull and the mechanical shark obliged, letting a surprisingly bitter cold wind rush through.
They recognized the area instantly. It was the icy side of Hailfire Peaks.
"It seems colder than usual," commented Bottles.
Clanker must have swum non-stop to get us here by morning," said Kazooie. "Especially without the aid of the Crystal Jiggy."
The mole took in the bird's thoughts. "Especially without my patented move," he added.
Kazooie though for a while, then spoke. "We can't keep the kids and the Mrs. along with us," she said, changing the subject. "We have to leave them at a safe point."
"But this game saves automatically."
"No, I said SAFE point: A place where they could be safe."
"Oh."
"We need a place where Klunty would not harm them. A place that has little or no uses whatsoever, except to bring up some nostalgia. Hmm... Wait a sec! I know a place..."
------
Boggy's igloo was a rare occurrence on the chilly side of Hailfire Peaks, as it was an igloo made not of ice, but of overlain lead and steel. Even more odd, the furnishing inside this mammal-made wonder -- the TV, couch, and shelves -- was made not of stable materials, but of ice. It was quite a physical irony, existing alone as a pure oddity.
Boggy the bear however was hurriedly dressing for an important rendezvous. Quickly donning his scarf, he attempted to swallow his breakfast of bloated salmon in one bite. In doing so, he choked and coughed it back out. The doorbell rang, which shook him greatly.
Walking toward the door, he slipped on the half-chewed fish he had just spat out and fell with a thunderous crash onto the coffee table.
The polar bear kids woke up. Goggy, Moggy, and Soggy had startled awake by the father's fall. They climbed out of their beds, scurrying up the stairs. They stopped at Boggy slumped onto the table, and pulled at his face. "Daddy?" they asked.
Boggy eventually got to his feet, surprised that his children were awake so early on a weekend. Saying very little, he escorted them back to bed, and opened the door that he'd nearly forgotten to answer.
Kazooie and Bottles appeared at the doorway.
This apparently had Boggy frozen in place with shock, a look of terror spreading across his face. As the Breegull reached a wing out to say something, the bear suddenly stumbled backward against the table he had fallen on just moments ago.
"No..." Boggy uttered, "Please, don't hurt me..."
The mole and bird looked to each other in complete bewilderment at the bear's reaction. "What are you saying?" asked Kazooie.
Boggy quickly responded, "No, don't take me to Klunty! I'm sorry I let Banjo take my Jiggies to help defeat her, I really am!"
"What?" said the bird. "We're not taking you to the witch! What is going on with you?"
"Hunh?" said the bear, reaching his paw out slightly. "But... you were both brainwashed by Klunty at the game, weren't you? It said that on the TV yesterday."
"No," said Bottles. "We managed to escape before that. The witch announced it and everything."
"Well, I turned it off right away when I heard about Klunty. I didn't want to scare the kids," Boggy explained.
"You needn't worry about her," said Kazooie. "She's after us, not you. Which brings us to another topic, actually. It involves this mole's furry family."
"Is there any way you could take after my children?" asked Bottles with a slight warmness. "I know you've got a full house here, but the Mrs. will surely keep my boy and girl in order for you. It would really help us out."
Boggy fiddled with his scarf while he decided. "All right," he finally said. "I'll have to talk with my wife though -- she's out and I have to meet her soon. It shouldn't be problem when I explain it to her, so you can leave them here and I'll return later."
"Great," said the bird. She quickly ran back to Clanker to get the others.
"So, where are you headed?" asked Bottles.
"I'm not quite sure. I have to sign some papers -- it has something to do with the passing of the Ice Cubes."
"The Ice Cubes? You mean Mildred and George passed away? Kazooie never told me about that... how strange. How did they die?"
"Well, I don't know. They said they've only recently found their remains. It sounds really horrible. Imagine stumbling upon a pair of eyes..."
Bottles shuddered at the thought.
"So you see," said Boggy, "I really have to get going now. Goodbye." The bear looked back into the igloo, then walked away, leaving it in uncertain hands.